Splice bar for rail joints



DGC- 27, l932- D. P. woLHAUPTER l v 1,892,O25

sPLIcE BAR FOR RAIL JoINTs 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed March 51, 1932Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID P.WOLI-IAUPTER, OF WASHINGTON, DIS'I'RICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIG-NOR TO THERAIL J'OINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORKSPLICE BAR FOR RAIL JOINTS Application fi1ed March 31, 1932. Serial No.602,32f.

This invention relates to improved splice bars for rail joints, and tonovel methods of producing the same.

It is well known that splice bars for rail 5 joints must fulfill variousexacting requirements in order to afford prescribed factors of safety inservice. Such requirements are met by the new bar of the presentinvention which has generally in view to provide a splice bar ofexceptionally simple, inexpensive construction`l inasmuch as the samemay be formed from flat bar or plate stock by relatively inexpensiverolls or dies, which possess requiste strength to satisfy everyrequirement of safety in service, and which possess life at least equalto the life of the average splice bar of so-called standard design.

In order to provide for obtaining maximum life and most efficient andsat-'sfactory service from a rail joint it is recognized that the jointshould embody a construction not only to maintain the rails firmlyconnected together and in alinement, butto permit the natural wavemotion of the rails to pass uninterruptedly, or substantiallyuninterruptedly, through the joint. Therefore, a special object of theinvention is to provide a splice bar which serves to maintain the railends firmly connected together and supported in alined relationship, andwhich, at the same time, permits the natural wave motion of the rails topass substantially uninterrupt-edly through the joint.

Another special object of the invention from an economical productionpoint of view is to provide for obtaining relatively great strength andrigidity in a splice bar of relatively small mass andL light weight.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will become morefully apparent as the nature of the invention is bet-ter understood, thesame consists in the novel methods of producing splice bars, and in thenovel 5 combination and arrangements of featur-es of the bars, as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and defined in the apbended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a. perspective view of a flatbar of metal from which the present splice bars are formed. V

Figure 2 isa similar view of the bar after it has been transverselycorrugated.

Figure 3 is a similar view of the bar after it has been transverselybowed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating means for transverselycorrugating the bar and simultaneously bowing the same transversely.

Figure 5l is a transverse section through a rail joint having a splicebar as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is a transverse section through a rail joint having a splicebar formed by a method involving an additional step over the methodemployed in producing a splice bar as illustrated in Figure 5.

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views through asplice bar constructed in accordance with the invention and illustratingalternative forms of thevcorrugations thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating an alternativeembodiment of the invention. 1

Referring to the dra-wings inl detail, A designates in F ig. l a blankfrom which a splice bar embodying the features of the invention is to beformed according to either o two similar butspecifically different methos.

As will be observed, the blank A is in the form of a flat bar of metalof rectangular cross section and of suitable thickness` and width,having straight, parallel side edges 10.

In its broader aspects the invention resides in forming a splice barfrom a flat bar of metal as A either by transversely bowing the bar orby laterally bending or deflecting the side marginal portions thereofto-shift the planes of the edges 10, 10 to dispose the same at suchangles relative to the body of the bar to have flat fishing engagementwith the fishing surfaoes of the rail. However, while this ispracticable, it is preferred to additionally bend the bar A to impartincreased strength and rigidity thereto. Accordingly, one suitablemethod of forming a splice bar from the blank A inl accordance with theinvention consists in first corrugating the bar transversely asillustrated in F ig. 2 of the drawings, and in then bowing the bartransversely, or, equivalently, in laterally defiecting the sidemarginal portions thereof, as illustra-ted in Fig. 3, to bring the sideedges 10 thereof into such angular relationship to each other as to fit,respectively, the angularly related head and base fishing surfaces 11and 12 of a rail R as illustrated in Fig. 5. Al-

ternatively the bar may be corrugated andbowed or, equivalently, mayhave its side marginal portions laterally defiected in a singleoperation, by being subjected to pressure between a pair of dies D, D asillustrated in Fig. et, but, of course, the ultimate result is the samein either case, viz., strengthening of the bar and impartingrigidity-thereto in the directions of both its width and its thicknessby the corrugations and shifting of the fiat edges 10, 10fthereof to anangular relationship'corresponding to angular relationship of thefishing surfaces of the rail with which the bar is intended for use.

Regardless of Whether the corrugating of the bar is effected before orsimultaneously With the boWing or lateral deflectionp of the sidemarginal portions thereof, the obvious resultis that different portionsof the edges 10 of the bar are shifted to different planes relative toeach other due to the laterally offset relationship of the adjacentinwardly and outwardly directed ribs or corrugations and, to thepressure of the dies `or rolls being at right angles to the plane' ofthe blank and diagonally with respect to the laterally defiectedmarginal portions of the bar. In other words, the result is anundulation of each edge 10 inasmuch as each edge is higher at the middleofveach inwardly directed rib of the bar than at the middle of each out-`wardly directed rib. This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of thedrawings, from which figure it is manifest that the bar, due to theundulations of its edges, has intermittent instead of continuouscontactalong its length with the fishing surfaces of the rail. Thus, so-calledfreezing of the bar to the rails is avoided and comparatively freerunning or longitudinal movement of the rails relative to the bar whenthe rails contract or expand is permitted. Moreover, the peouliar Shapeof the edges of the bar permits the rail `ioint to yield to allow thenatural wave motion of the rails topass substantially uninterruptedlythrough the joint.

Referring now to Fig. 6 of the drawings, it Will be observed that thebar has flat fishing contact throughout the areas of its top and bottomedges with the corresponding fishing surfaces of the rail. F latteningof the edges of the bar by removing any irregular edge portions thereoffollowing corrugating and bowing or lateral bending of the bar may beaffected in any suitable or desired manner, as

for example, by a shearing or grinding operation.

According to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to8 the bar is transversely corrugated uniforinly throughout its lengthand entirely across the width thereof. This, however, is not necessary,as the inarginal side portions of the bar may be deflected laterallyonly at spaced points to leave the bar of flat cross section betweensaid points as illustrated in Fig. 9. In this way, fiat interinittentsurface contact of the side edges 10' of the bar with the rail may beobtained Without the necessity of Cutting or grinding said edges, and atthe same time substantially all of the advantages of a bar corrugated asillustrated in Figs. 1 to 8- are retained. In forming a bar asillustrated in Fig. 9 the lateral deflection of the marginal alinementof the bar preferably is effected as at 16 in Vertical alinement withthebolt holes 17 and the bar between the boltholes is permtted to remainof its original flat form as indicated at 18. Obviously,the'intermittent lateral defiection of the marginal side portions of thebar may be effected at both the top and the bottom of the bar or only atthe top or the bottom thereof.

Without further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of the invention Will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim 1. A splice bar having vertically extending corrugations, thetop and bottom portions of said bar being directed inwardly relative tothe portion thereof intermediate said top and bottom portions. v

2. A splice Vbar of uniform thickness throughout its height and length,said splice bar having vertically extending corrugations and having thetop and bottom portions thereof directed inwardly relative to theportion thereof intermediate said top and bottom portions.

3. A splice bar i of uniform thickness throughout its height and length,said splice bar having the top and bottom portions thereof directedinwardly relative to the portion thereof intermediate said top andbottom portions, and at least one of said inwardly directed portionsbeing corrugated.

4. The method of forming a splice' bar which consists in transverselycorrugating a flat bar of metal and laterally deflectin'g the niarginalportions of the corrugated bar relative to the portion thereofintermediate said marginal portions to dispose the edges of the bar atdesired fishing angles.

5. The method of forming a splice bar which consists in transverselycorrugating a fiat bar of metal and in bowing said bar transversely todispose the edges thereof at angles corresponding to the fishing anglesof rails.

6. The method of forming a splice bar which consists in transverselycorrugating a fiat bar of metal of uniform Width and thicknessthroughout its length, and in bowing said bar transversely to disposethe edges thereof at angles corresponding to the fishing angles ofrails.

7. The method of forining a splice bar which consists in transverselycorrugating a fiat bar of metal and thereafter bowing said bartransversely to dispose the edges of the bar at angles corresponding tothe fishing angles of rails and to rnantain all portions of each edge ina common plane.

8. The method of forming a splice bar which consists in transverselycorrugating a flat bar of metal and simultaneonsly bowing said bartransversely to dispose different portions of the edges of said bar atangles corresponding to the fishing angles of rails and in differentplanes.

In testiniony Whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

DAVID P. WOLHAUPTER.

